ICE - U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
06/05/2023 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/05/2023 11:47
Virginia man sentenced to 36 years for production of child sexual abuse material after HSI Norfolk investigation
NORFOLK, Va. - An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk and the Chesapeake Police Department has resulted in a 36-year federal prison sentence for a Virginia man for producing child sexual abuse material. Jonathan Wilson, 35, of Chesapeake, received the lengthy prison sentence June 1 at the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Norfolk.
"Johnathan Wilson's actions were exceptionally disturbing, and that was reflected in the severity of his sentence," said HSI Washington, D.C. Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon. "HSI will continue to pursue child sexual predators who believe they can pursue their perverse behavior with impunity. They cannot escape justice and there will be serious consequences for their heinous actions."
HSI Norfolk identified Wilson in early 2022 after Belgian authorities reported that he had been distributing child sexual abuse material to a Belgian citizen.
Authorities found Wilson after a social media platform reported that he uploaded child sexual abuse material to his account. HSI Norfolk and CPD joined forces and executed a search warrant at Wilson's residence.
Law enforcement officials discovered that Wilson had been filming his sexual abuse of a toddler for two years, beginning when she was two years old.
Authorities immediately took Wilson into custody.
This investigation was conducted by HSI Norfolk and the CPD with significant assistance from the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Anyone with information regarding the sexual abuse of children or child sexual abuse material distribution is encouraged to contact the HSI Tip Line at 866-DHS-2423 (866-347-2423). The HSI Tip Line is manned 24 hours a day.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
HSI is the principal investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), responsible for investigating transnational crime and threats, specifically those criminal organizations that exploit the global infrastructure through which international trade, travel, and finance move. HSI's workforce of more than 8,700 employees consists of more than 6,000 special agents assigned to 237 cities throughout the United States, and 93 overseas locations in 56 countries. HSI's international presence represents DHS's largest investigative law enforcement presence abroad and one of the largest international footprints in U.S. law enforcement.